Phonograph



Sept. 15, 1931. A. A. JOHNSON Y 1,322,892

' PH-ONOGRAPH Filed April 1, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR A. JOHNSON, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO DICTAPHONE COR- PORATION, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT,

A CORPORATION OF NEW'YOBK PHONOGRAPH Application filed April 1, 1924. Serial 703,876.

This invention relates to phonographs, and in the form herein shown as illustrative of the invention, it is applied to commercial phonographs, such as dictating and transcribing machines.

An object of this invention is to prevent damage being done to the record or stylus by the improper removal or application of the record to the machine or by movement of the record on its support while the stylus engages the record.

Another object is to provide means whereby a collapsible mandrel cannot be collapsed to allow the movement of the record until the stylus has been removed from the recordsur-face.

Another object is toprevent the improper removal or application of the record, by improved means which is more simple in operation, cheaper to manufacture, and more positive in action than those devices or the like heretofore employed.

A further object is to provide a collapsible mandrel, which will properly expand and contract under the pressure of a record, due to changes of temperature or because of irregularities in record manufacture, and thus prevent the record from freezing on the mandrel or being otherwise damaged in its ordinary proper use.

And a further object is to positively look a record on 'a mandrel adapted to yieldably support the record.

And a still further object is to provide' a record mandrel which is collapsible to allow the easy removal of the record and yet which supports the record upon individually rockable, record-engaging members, so that the mandrel may accommodate itself to irregularities which might exist on the internal'surface of a record.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In 'the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dictating machine, showing one form of the present invention as embodied therein.

Fi 2 1s a. nut sectional front view of a 2- portion of a dictating machine, showing the parts in operative position.

Fig. 3 is a part sectional side View of the parts shown in Fig. 1, showing them in inoperative position, preparatory to the removal of the record from its mandrel.

Fig. 4 is a View like Fig. 2 showing the parts, except the mandrel, in the positions they occupy in Fig. 3, and as to the mandrel, showing the parts in the copy when collapsed.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the mandrel.

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing thecontrol lever with its key'connected to a part which it operates. 1

The dictating machine, shown in the accompanying drawings, comprises a base 10 having vertical standards 11 carrying an upper guide in the form of a tube 12 and a lower guide in the form of a rod 13 for supporting a sound-box carriage 14 so that it may move longitudinally of the machine, under the influence of a feed-screw 15 to carry the recording and reproducing mechanism over the record-surface.

The sound-sensitive recording and reproducing means comprises a sound-box 16 mounted in the carriage 14, andincludes a recording stylus 17 and areproducing stylus 18. The soundebox is movably mounted in the sound-box carriage 14 so that either the recording stylus 17 or the reproducing stylus 18 may be moved to record engaging position;'o'r both the styli can be maintained off the record to allow the sound-box carriage to be shifted to the desired position or to allow the removal or application of a record.

For this purpose, the sound-box 16 is mounted in a sliding tube 19 connected by a link 20 to a lever 21 located in the carriage 14. This lever 21 extends to the exterior of the sound-box carriage 14 for manual operation. In the extremes of its forward and backward movements. the lever 21, through positions they 00- the connection described, causes either the preferably three, individually movable, lon- .arm and through the end 31.

gitudinally extending rods 25, equi-spaced from each other, and each substantially longer than the record.

Heretofore, it has been deemed desirable to mount the rods 25 so that, at one end of the mandrel at least, the rods will be yieldably supported to be capable of movement compensating for variations of the internal surfaces of records, which they support, due to temperature changes and irregularities produced in making the record. The provision of such mechanism, however, is costly, and does not entirely and fully meet the condition. For, it permits eccentricity of the record with the consequent and undesirable continual and repeated vertical reciprocation of 'the'sound-box caused by rotation of the record during the recording, which is unfavorably affected thereby. To avoid these difficulties, the present invention provides means allowing the rods 25, themselves. to be firmly and unyieldingly supported, either at one or both ends of the mandrel, thus insuring absolute and uniform eoncentricity of the parts of the mandrel and the record carried thereby.

The rods 25 are supported at one end in a spider 26, apertured to receive them and secured to a shaft 27 mounted in the housing 28 which is of the usual type and has suitable bearings to support the mandrel shaft 27 for rotation. There are three arms 29 to the spider 26, in the form shown in the accompanying drawing, and each of these is provided with a hole 30 for receiving the end 31 of a rod 25 and somewhat largerthan the end to allow slight pivotal movement of the end about a pin 32 extending through the The spider 26, thus supports the inside end of the mandrel rigidly, but allows the rods 25 to collapse towardeach other by each swinging about the pin32 carrying it.

When the mandrel is in position to support a-record. the opposite or outside ends of the rods 25 are also positively and rigidlv supported. This is accomplished by providing a spider 33 for the ends 34 of the rods .25. The spider-33 has arms 35, provided with horizontal holes 36. one for'receiving each of the ends 34. The end 34 fits well within its hole 36, and this is held against shaft 27. The sleeve 37 is held in its outer position, as shown in Fig. 2 with the pin 39 against the end of the slot 40, by means of a spring 41 engaging the reduced end of shaft 27 at one side and a screw 42 threaded in the sleeve 37. A finger-piece 43 provided on the sleeve 37 is mounted between a shoulder on the sleeve and the head of the screw 42.

When it is desired to collapse the mandrel for the purpose of facilitating the removal of the record, the finger-piece 43 is thrust inwardly against the tension of spring 41 and this moves the sleeve 37 with its spider 33 inwardly causing a cam surface 44 on each of the rods 25 to be engaged by a cam slot 45 on each of the arms 35 on the spider. The first part of the inward movement of the spider 33 causes the ends 34 on the rods 25 to disengage the horizontal openings 36 in the arms 35 with which they are locked in extended position. Then, the.arms are free to move ositively toward each other-by engagement of the cams 44 with the cam slots 45 of the arms 35. The rods 25 are thus held collapsed so long as the finger-piece 43 is manually held in place, and, upon release of the finger-piece 43, the spring 41 returns the spider 33 to its outer position, causing the rods 25 to again be cammed up and locked .in extended osition.

While, as above state the rods 25 support the record, nevertheless, the rods do not actu ally engage the record. Instead, the record is supported by a plurality of individually rockable, yielding shoes 46, preferably two being provided for each-rod 25. As shown in rod 25 by a screw 48 and having at each end an upstanding finger 49 engaging a notch 50 in the shoe. After the mandrel is collapsed and the record has been placed upon it and is allowed to again expand, these shoes 46 are depressed against the tension of the springs 47 and they individually accommodate themselves to the record surface which they engage. The pressure of any one shoe against the record surface is not so great that it would indent the same, but the pressure of the entire group of shoes is sufiicient to securely hold the record against slipping on the mandrel. The shoes are free to move with the natural expansion and contraction of the record due to temperature changes and therefore the objectionable freezing of a record on a mandrel is avoided.

The standard record for this type of sound cam the record over toward the inside of the recording and reproducing machine is provided with a tapering bore and consequently the parts arose arranged'as to accommodate this kind of a record. However, a record having a perfectly cylindrical bore would be held drel is controlled at the inner side of the machine by the upstanding arm 29 of the spider 26 engaging the inner end of the record. For the purpose of locking the record upon the mandrel against all possible longitudinal movement, except when the mandrel is collapsed, a feature which is extremely advantageous in View of the safety device hereinafter referred to, each rod 25 is provided with a finger'or abutment 51 which extends far enough above the surface of the rod 25 to engage the outer end of the record and positively lock it in'place, as shown in Fig. 2. The pinis tapered was to be selflocating and to machine, ifnecessary, to bring it to proper guide.

position. The pins will embed themselves in the re ord material slightly, if the record is somewhat oversize, but this slight indentation will have no deleterious effect upon thev record.

To prevent damage being done to the record by the styli. when the record. is being placed upon the mandrel, or when an attempt is made to remove it, while the styli are in record-engagingposition, the present invention provides means for. locking the collapsible mandrel against collapsing movement and for blocking the path of the record to the mandrel, whileeither stylus is in record-engaging o'sition.

For t ispurpose, the finger-p ece 43 of the collapsiblemandrel is provided witha circumferenti'al groove adapted to be engaged by a slidifng 'boltv61 mounted in a slot 62 on the side-member 11 of the machine frame. The bolt'a'filis-provided w th a slot- 63into which fextends thefree end of a bell-crank '64 pivotedfat'tidon the side-member 11, and

engages the slot freely so as to allow free travelling movement of the sound-box carriage 14 over the guide, yet maintainng positive connection between the lever 21 and the The slot 23 in the guide is, of course,

i made sufiiciently wide to allow the guide to rotate without engagingthe feed-nut 22, both forwardly and backwardly from the neutral position of the lever 21.

'When the lever 21 is rocked forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, the key 69 engaging the slot 23 causes the guide-tube to rotate. This, in turn, causes the cam 68 to rotate rearwardly, rocking the bell-crank 64 which engages the sliding bolt 61 and pushes it into the circumferential groove 60 of the finger-piece. The finger-piece'is thus held against operation and, as above explained, the record cannot be moved upon the mandrel or removed from the mandrel so long as the linger-piece 43 is not operated, due to the fact that the fingers 51 engage the end of the v record and hold it against movement. The sliding bolt 61 also prevents the application of the record to the mandrel while the control lever 21 is in operative position, because of the fact that it blocks the path of the'reeord to the mandrel. On finding that the bolt 61 is in the way when it is desired to' appl a record. or that the finger-piece 43 is'loc ed when it is desired to remove a record from the 1 machine, the operator removes the control lever 21 to neutral position, as shown. in Fig. 3. This moves the cam 68 so as toallow the bell-crank (S4 to have its pin 47 raised under the influence of a spring-70. -The beltfil'isl then withdrawn and applicat on or removal of the record is permitted. I I

Substantially the same operation takes place when the lever 21 is in reproducing or rearward postion. In this case, the cam lever also cams the bell-crank fi downwardly andpushes bolt 61 intoengagementwith the finger-piece 43. All the parts ex ept the cam v lever-68 occupy the same positions whether the control lever 21 is in forward or dictating position, or its rearward or reproducing position. I I 2 It will thus be seen that th? s invention pro vides a single member for preventing the removal of arecord from the machine,v or its application to the machine when the soundbox is in either its recording or reproducing position, and that movement of the record on i the mandrel is positively prevented, unless the sound-box is in neutral position where "(he styli do not engage the record.

It should. be understood that the invent on s not limited to the specific form of dev ce here n illustrated and that portions of the improvements may be used without others.

It should also be understood that variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the append d cla'ms.

Having now described the invention. What is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is.

1. In combination. a record-Fupport adapted to collapse. to permit easy removal of a record; sound recording oi reproducing means; means for controlling the engagement of the sound recording or reproducing means with the record; and means controlled by the last-named means. for preventing the collapse of the record-support.

2. In combination, a record-support adapted to collapse to allow the easy removal of the record; record-engaging sound recording or reproducing means; controlling means therefor to remove the same from record-engaging position; and means controlled by the controlling means for preventing the collapse of the record-support while the record-engaging means engages the record.

3. In combination, a record-supporting mandrel; a device on said mandrel adapted to facilitate the removal of the record therefrom; sound-responsive means adapted to engage the record; means adapted to remove the sound-re-ponsive means from record-engaging position: and means controlled by the last-named means for allowing operation of the said device only when the sound-responsive means is removed from record-engaging position.

4. In combination, a record-simport comprising a plurality of longitudinally disposed rods and movable supports for the rods adapted. upon relative movements between the rods and the supports, to cause the rods to collapse: a manually operated device for moving such supports; and means for preventing operation of the said device.

5. In combination. a collapsible recordsupport; means for causing the recor l-support to collapse; and means to prevent the operation of the last named means.

6. In combination, a record-support; means on the record support for facilitating the removal of the record therefrom; and means to prevent the operation of the last named means.

7. In combination, a record-support; means on the record-support for facilitating the removal of the record from the recordsupport: means for preventing the operation of the last-named ineans; sonnd-rcsponsive record-engaging means: manually operable means to move the last-named means to inettective position: and means, operated by the manually operable means, for rendering said operation preventing means ineffective.

8. 'In a machine of the character described, a record-support; means on the record-support adapted to facilitate the removal of the record theretron'l: a sound-box adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from the record: and means adapted to prevent the operation of the said means and rendered operative when the sound-box is in record-engaging position.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a cylindrical phonograph record; a sound-box; a mandrel for the record: means for collapsing the mandrel. to facilitate the removal of the record; and means for rendering the said means inoperative,

locking device for locking the finger-piece when the lever is in tion.

12. In combination,

a pre-determined posia collapsible mandrel having afinger-piece provided with a circumferential groove, and means adapted to engage said groove and lock the finger-piece against movement.

13. In combination, a collapsible mandrel having a finger-piece; and a member adapted to co-operate with said finger-piece and lock it against movement.

14. In combination, a. collapsible mandrel having a movable finger-piece; a member adapted to cooperate with the finger-piece to lock it; sound-box controlling means; and means operatively connecting the sound-box controlling means and the above-named member.

15. In combination, a collapsible mandrel having a finger-piece; and a sliding bolt adapted to lock the finger-piece against operation.

16. In combination, a collapsible mandrel having a finger-piece, a sliding bolt adapted to engage the finger-piece to prevent its operation; a sound-box controlling lever; and means connected to the said lever for operating the sliding bolt.

17. A mount for sound-records comprising a plurality of individually movable members, each provided with a plurality of longitudinally-spaced spring-pressed record-engaging blocks.

18. A mandrel for sound-record tablets comprising, in combination, a plurality of individually inwardly and outwardly movable members. and a spring pressed record engaging part mounted for rocking movement upon each of said members.

19. A mandrel for sound-record tablets comprising a plurality of longitudinally disposed. independently movable members, each of said members being provided with a plurality of individually movable record-engaging parts each of which is centrally supported.

20. A mandrel for sound-record tablets comprising a plurality of longitudinally disne ates posed, pivotally mounted members, each of i said members comprising a plurality of individually r'ockable, spring-pressed, recordengaging parts.

21. A mandrel for soundrecord tablets comprising a plurality of members, inwardly and outwardly movable as individual units, and centrally supported individually rockable record-engaging parts carried by said members.

22. In combination, a mandrel for soundrecord tablets comprising a plurality of relatively movable rods; a shaft for the mandrel; means carried by the shaft for supportmg the rods at one end against movement toward the shaft; movable means on the shaft adapted to engage the other end of the rods normally supporting the rods against movement towards the shaft but movable to a position allowing the rods to collapse; and yieldable means mounted on the rods.

23. In combination, a mandrel for soundrecord tablets comprising a plurality of relatively movable rods; a shaft for the mandrel; means carried by the shaft for supporting the rods at one end against movement toward the shaft; movable means on the shaft adapted to engage the other end of the rods normally supporting the rods against movement towards the shaft but movable to a position allowing the rods to collapse; and centrally, supported individually rockable record-engaging means mounted on the rods.

24. In combination, a mandrel for soundrecord tablets comprising a plurality of relatively movable rods; a shaft for the mandrel; means carried by the shaft for supporting the rods at one end against movement toward the shaft; movable means on the shaft adapted to engage the other end of the rods normally supporting the rod againstmovement towards the shaft but movable to a position allowing the rods to collapse; and rockable spring-presse .l means mounted on the rods and adapted to engage the record.

record-engaging In combination, a mandrel for soundrecord tablets comprising a plurality of relatively movable rods; a shaft for the mandrel; means carried by the shaft for supporting the rods at one end against movement to-' the sound-box is in record-engaging posit-ion and for preventing the collapsing of the removal of therecord from the machine while the sound-box is either in recording or reproducing position.

28. In combination, a sound-box movable to and from record-engaging position, a collapsible mandrel adapted to resist removal of the record when in extended position and to permit removal of the record when in collapsed position, and controllable means adapted to prevent the collapse of the manrel.

29. In combination, a collapsible mandrel, comprising a plurality of relatively movable rods; and means on the mandrel for unyieldingly locking the record thereon when the rods are in extended position.

30. In combination, a mandrel comprising a plurality of yieldingrecord-engaging members; and means on the mandrel to unyieldingly. lock the record thereon against removal.

31. A record-supporting mandrel, comprising a plurality of relatively movable members adapted to releasably support a record; and means on the mandrel for unyieldingly locking the record thereon.

32. A record-supporting mandrel, having individually movable record-supporting rods adapted to collapse and free the record therefrom; and an unyielding abutment on each of said rods adapted to engage the record when the rods support the record and prevent the removal thereof.

A record-engaging mandrel having means for yieldably supporting the record and means for engaging the record to unyieldingly lock it against movement thereon.

34. A record-supporting mandrel comprising collapsible record-engaging members; and means adapted to unyieldingly lock the record on the mandrel until the recordengaging members are collapsed.

35. In combination, a record-support; a sound-responsive device adapted to engage'a record mounted on said support; means for controlling the engagement of the sound-re sponsive device with the record; means for locking the record upon the record-support against movement thereon; and means adapted to release said locking means when said controlling means is in position to maintain the sound-responsive means disengaged from the record.

36. In combination, a record-support; a recording stylus adapted to engage a record mounted on the support; and means for preventing movement of the record longitudinally on .the record-support until the recording stylus is moved to inoperative position.

37. In combination, a record-support; a locking device carried thereby; a recording stylus adapted to engage a record mounted on the record-support; means for rendering said stylus inoperative; and means operated by the last-named means for releasing said record-support locking means.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the. county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, this 31st day of March, 1924.

ARTHUR A. JOHNSON. 

